Living in Japan has only made my admiration for Japanese cuisine grow. There is a delicate artistry to each and every dish, with the finished product being the very definition of balance in flavor and texture. Am I a master chef when it comes to Japanese food? Hardly, but I know what I’ve learned here will impact how I cook for a long time to come.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of joining FEW Japan in a sushi-making class and sake tasting with Arigato Japan, a wonderful business run by women (Yes!) that hosts cooking classes and food tours throughout Tokyo. Six of us gathered in the Arigato Japan kitchen to learn how to make four different kinds of sushi and maki rolls, as well as three different side dishes and a soup, washed down with umeshu (plum wine) and sake. The class was led by an English-speaking chef who guided us through each step, making beautiful dishes seem easy. We also used some traditional cooking tools and the owner’s bomb-ass non-stick knife from Okinawa just shot to the top of my kitchen wish list.

At the end, we sat down and devoured the fruits of our labor and enjoyed some chatter. The environment was so relaxed and low-pressure, which made trying the different techniques anything but intimidating. I can’t wait to take another one of their classes soon and definitely recommend booking a lesson or tour, whether you’re just visiting or have been living in Japan and want to leave knowing more than just how to boil edamame, like me.

Enjoy some shots of what we made — as well as some tips — below!

Why do I not always have umeshu in my fridge?!

Our lovely instructor kicked off the lesson with a simple soup flavored with konbu (a type of seaweed) and katsuoboshi (dried bonito).

Sushi vinegar being added to the freshly cooked rice.

I was elected to “cut” the sushi rice in a wooden dish that absorbs moisture. You stir the rice in this way until it stops steaming and then cover with a damp towel.

Teriyaki shiitake mushrooms.

Red pepper, tuna and goya (bitter melon) for a salad.

The plated appetizers, which also included fresh spinach.

To color rice for flower sushi, a role with a flower design when cut, we used this colored fish powder.

Each of us made a small roll, or “petal.” Mine burst open. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Assembling the flower. The center was a fish and cheese stick.

After allowing the roll to set for the rest of the class, we sliced it to see our handy work.

Toppings for temarizushi, which are bite-sized sushi balls.

Our instructor suggested we stick to two or three colors.

The balls are assembled in plastic wrap, which makes me wonder how people ever made them without it.